1. Before
the days of Saul, Israel had been brought very low; during his government it
had suffered from internal strife, and his reign was closed by an overwhelming
disaster at Gilboa. David found himself the possessor of a tottering throne,
troubled with the double evil of faction at home and invasion from abroad. He
traced at once the evil to its true source, and began at the fountainhead. His
were the politics of piety, which after all are the wisest and most profound.
He knew that the displeasure of the Lord had brought calamity upon the nation,
and to the removal of that displeasure he set himself by earnest prayer. O
God, thou hast cast us off. Thou hast treated us as foul and offensive
things, to be put away; as useless dead boughs, to be torn away from the tree
which they disfigure. To be cast off by God is the worst calamity that can
befall a man or a people; but the worst form of it is when the person is not
aware of it and is indifferent to it. When the divine desertion causes mourning
and repentance, it will be but partial and temporary. When a cast-off soul
sighs for its God it is not indeed cast off at all. Thou hast scattered us.
David clearly sees the fruits of the divine anger. Whoever might be the
secondary agent of these disasters, he beholds the Lord’s hand as the prime
moving cause, and pleads with the Lord concerning the matter. These first two
verses, with their depressing confession, must be regarded as greatly enhancing
the power of the faith which in the later verses rejoices in better days,
through the Lord’s gracious return unto his people. Thou hast been
displeased. Had we pleased thee, thou wouldst have pleased us; but as we
have walked contrary to thee, thou hast walked contrary to us. O turn
thyself to us again. Forgive the sin and smile once more; turn us to thee,
turn thou to us. Some read it, “Thou wilt turn to us again,” and it makes but
slight difference which way we take it, for a true-hearted prayer brings a
blessing so soon that it is no presumption to consider it as already obtained.
There was more need for God to turn to his people than for Judah’s troops to be
brave, or Joab and the commanders wise. God with us is better than strong
battalions; but if he withdraw his presence we tremble at the fall of a leaf.
2. Thou hast made the earth to tremble. Nothing was stable; the priests had been murdered by Saul,
the worst men had been put in office, the military power had been broken by the
Philistines, and the civil authority had grown despicable through insurrections
and internal contests. Thou hast broken it. As the earth cracks, and
opens itself in rifts during violent earthquakes, so was the kingdom rent with
strife and calamity. Heal the breaches thereof. As a house in time of
earthquake is shaken, and the walls begin to crack, and gape with threatening
fissures, so was it with the kingdom. For it shaketh. It tottered to a
fall; if not soon propped up and repaired it would come down in complete ruin.
So far gone was Israel that only God’s interposition could preserve it from
utter destruction. How often have we seen churches in this condition, and how
suitable is the prayer before us, in which the extremity of the need is used as
an argument for help. The like may be said of our own personal religion.
3. Thou hast showed thy people hard things. Nothing had happened by chance, but all had come by divine
design and with a purpose; yet for all that things had gone hard with Israel.
The psalmist claims that they were still the Lord’s own people, though in the
first verse he had said, “thou hast cast us off.” The language of complaint
is usually confused, and faith in time of trouble ere long contradicts the
desponding statements of the flesh. Thou hast made us to drink the wine of
astonishment. The grapes of the vineyard of sin produce a wine which fills
the most hardened with anguish when justice compels them to quaff the cup.
There is a fire-water of anguish of soul which even to the righteous makes a
cup of trembling, which causes them to be exceeding sorrowful almost unto death.
When grief becomes so habitual as to be our drink, and to take the place of our
joys, becoming our only wine, then are we in an evil case indeed.
4. The Lord
has called back to himself his servants, and commissioned them for his service,
presenting them with a standard to be used in his wars. Thou hast given a
banner to them that fear thee. Their afflictions had led them to exhibit
holy fear, and then being fitted for the Lord’s favor, he gave them an ensign,
which would be both a rallying point for their hosts, a proof that he had sent
them to fight, and a guarantee of victory. The bravest men are usually
intrusted with the banner, and it is certain that those who fear God most have
less fear of man than any others. The Lord has given us the standard of the
Gospel; let us live to uphold it, and if needful die to defend it. Our right to
contend for God, and our reason for expecting success, are found in the fact
that the faith has been once committed to the saints, and that by the Lord
himself. That it may be displayed because of the truth. Banners are for
the breeze, the sun, the battle. To publish the Gospel is a sacred duty, to be
ashamed of it a deadly sin. The truth of God was involved in the triumph of
David’s armies; he had promised them victory; and so in the proclamation of the
Gospel we need feel no hesitancy, for as surely as God is true he will give
success to his own Word. Dark signs of present or coming ill must not
dishearten us; if the Lord had meant to destroy us he would not have given us
the Gospel; the very fact that he has revealed himself in Christ Jesus involves
the certainty of victory. Selah. There is so much in the fact of a
banner being given to the hosts of Israel, so much of hope, of duty, of
comfort, that a pause is fitly introduced. The sense justifies it, and the more
joyful strain of the music necessitates it.
5. That thy beloved may be delivered. David was the Lord’s beloved—his name signifies “dear” or
“beloved”—and there was in Israel a remnant according to the election of
grace, who were the beloved of the Lord; for their sakes the Lord wrought great
marvels. God’s beloved are the inner seed, for whose sake he preserves the
entire nation, which acts as a husk to the vital part. This is the main design
of providence, That thy beloved may be delivered; if it were not for
their sakes he would neither give a banner nor send victory to it. Save with
thy fight hand, and hear me. Save at once, before the prayer is over; the
case is desperate unless there be immediate salvation. Tarry not, O Lord, till
I have done pleading; save first and hear afterwards. The salvation must be a
right royal and eminent one, such as only the omnipotent hand of God linked
with his dexterous wisdom can achieve. Urgent distress puts men upon pressing
and bold petitions such as this. We may by faith ask for and expect that our
extremity will be God’s opportunity; special and memorable defenses will be
wrought out when dire calamities appear to be imminent. The Lord’s David seeks
salvation as though it were for himself, but his eye is ever upon all those who
are one with him in the Father’s love. When divine interposition is necessary
for the rescue of the elect it must occur, for the first and greatest necessity
of providence is the honor of God, and the salvation of his chosen.
6. God hath spoken in his holiness. Faith is never happier than when it can fall back upon the
promise of God. She sets this over against all discouraging circumstances. God
had promised Israel victory, and David the kingdom: the holiness of God had
secured the fulfilment of his own covenant, and therefore the king spoke
confidently. Make good use of this, and banish doubts while promises remain. I
will rejoice, or “I will triumph.” Faith regards the promise not as
fiction but fact, and therefore drinks in joy from it, and grasps victory by
it. God hath spoken; I will rejoice here is a fit motto for every
soldier of the cross. I will divide Shechem. As a victor David would
allot the conquered territory to those to whom God had given it by lot. Shechem
was an important portion of the country which as yet had not yielded to his
government; but he saw that by Jehovah’s help it would be, and indeed was, all
his own. Faith divides the spoil; she is sure of what God has promised, and
enters at once into possession. And mete out the valley of Succoth. As
the east, so the west of Jordan should be allotted to the proper persons.
Enemies should be expelled, and the landmarks of peaceful ownership set up.
When God has spoken, his divine shall, our I will, becomes no idle boast, but
the fit echo of the Lord’s decree. Believer, up and take possession of covenant
mercies, Divide Shechem, and mete out the valley of Succoth. Let not
Canaanitish doubts and legalisms keep thee out of the inheritance of grace.
Live up to thy privileges; take the good which God provides thee.
7. Gilead is mine, and Manasseh is mine. He claims the whole land on account of the promise. Two
other great divisions of the country he mentions, evidently delighting to survey
the goodly land which the Lord had given him. All things are ours, whether
things present or things to come; no mean portion belongs to the believer, and
let him not think meanly of it. No enemy shall withhold from true faith what
God has given her, for grace makes her mighty to wrest it from the foe. Life is
mine, death is mine, for Christ is mine. Ephraim also is the strength of
mine head. All the military power of the valiant tribe was at the command
of David, and he praises God for it. The church may cry, “the prowess of
armies is mine,” but God will overrule all their achievements for the progress
of his cause. Judah is my lawgiver. There the civil power was
concentrated; the king being of that tribe sent his laws out of her midst. We
know no lawgiver but the King who came out of Judah. We are free from all other
ecclesiastical rule but that of Christ; but we yield joyful obedience to him: Judah
is my lawgiver. Amid distractions it is a great thing to have good and
sound legislation; it was a balm for Israel’s wounds; it is our joy in the
church of Christ.
8. Having
looked at home with satisfaction, the hero-king now looks abroad with
exultation. Moab, so injurious to me in former years, is my washpot.
A mere pot to hold the dirty water after my feet have been washed in it. The
wicked as we see in them the evil, the fruit, and the punishment of sin will
help bring on the purification of the saints. This is contrary to their will,
and to the nature of things, but faith finds honey in the lion, and a washpot
in filthy Moab. David treats his foes as but insignificant and inconsiderable;
a whole nation he counts but as a footbath for his kingdom. Over Edom will I
east out my shoe. As a man when bathing throws his shoes on one side, so
would he obtain his dominion over haughty Esau’s descendants. Perhaps he would
throw his shoe as men throw their glove, as a challenge to them to dare dispute
his sway. He did not need to draw a sword. Every believer may also by faith
triumph over all difficulties, and reign with him who hath made us kings and
priests. Philistia, triumph thou because of me. Be so subdued as to
rejoice in my victories over my other foes. Or does he mean, I who smote your
champion have at length so subdued you that you will never be able to rejoice
over Israel again; but if you must triumph it must be with me, and not against
me; or rather is this a taunting defiance, a piece of irony? O proud Philistia,
where now your haughty looks and promised conquests? Thus dare we defy the last
enemy: “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” When the
Lord speaks the promise, we will not be slow to rejoice and glory in it.
9. As yet
the interior fortresses of Edom had not been subdued. Their invading bands had
been slain in the valley of salt, and David intended to push his conquests to
Petra, the city of the rock, deemed to be impregnable. Who will bring me
into the strong city? It was all but inaccessible, hence the question of
David. When we have achieved great success it must be a stimulus to greater
efforts, but it must not become a reason for self-confidence. We must look to
the strong for strength as much at the close of a campaign as at its beginning.
Who will lead me into Edom? High up among the stars stood the city of
stone, but God could lead his servant up to it. No heights of grace are too
elevated for us, the Lord being our leader, but we must beware of high things
attempted in self-reliance.
10. Wilt not thou, O God, which hadst east us off? Yes, the chastising God is our only hope. He loves us
still. For a small moment does he forsake, but with great mercy does he gather
his people. Strong to smite, he is also strong to save. He who proved to us our
need of him by showing us what poor creatures we are without him, will now
reveal the glory of his help by conducting great enterprises to a noble issue. And
thou, O God, which didst not go out with our armies? Though thou slay us,
we will trust in thee, and look for thy merciful help.
11. Give us help from trouble. Help us to overcome the disasters of civil strife and
foreign invasion, for vain is the help of man. We have painfully learned
the utter impotence of armies, kings, and nations without thine help.
12. Through God we shall do valiantly. From God all power proceeds, and all we do well is done by
divine operation; but still we, as soldiers of the great King, are to fight,
and to fight valiantly too. Divine working is not an argument for human
inaction, but rather it is the best excitement for courageous effort. For he
it is that shall tread down our enemies. From him shall the might proceed,
to him shall the honor be given. It shall rather be his foot which presses them
down than ours. We shall do valiantly. We will not be ashamed of our
colors, afraid of our foes, or fearful of our cause. The Lord is with us and we
will not hesitate; we dare not be cowards.
Excerpt from:
The Treasury of David
By Charles H Spurgeon
